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1 year ago
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Today marks the 25th anniversary of Mulan, Disney's 36th feature film which was released back on 19th June 1998!
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The film, which is based on the Chinese legend of Hua Mulan, came out during the tail end of the Disney Renaissance when I was five years old.
I can wholeheartedly say that Mulan is my fave Disney movie for a multitude of reasons. Here are just a few of them...
1. The film blends drama with comedy and action seamlessly.
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One minute Mulan's dad is yelling at her, then we're laughing at her Grandmother crossing the road and causing chaos, then we're watching Mulan climb up to get that arrow using only just her brute strength and determination. What can't this movie do???
2. It has queer vibes throughout!
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Where do I start with this?! Firstly, Mulan resents being match-made and serving her womanly (heteronormative) duty of becoming an "obedient" wife. Secondly, she binds her chest and adopts male dress. Thirdly, Shang falls for Ping wayyyy before he's revealed to be Mulan. Fourthly, Mulan's military comrades all dress in drag at the end of the film to help defeat Shan Yu! And that's without even mentioning the obviously queer character of Chi-Fu, AND the fact that the voice cast includes gay icons like BD Wong, Harvey Fierstein, and Miriam Margolyes!
"There are people from the LBGTQ community that are profoundly affected by Mulan's story and see a lot of them being represented when she cuts off her hair and dresses up as a boy", Ming-Na shared with ET. "There's so many wonderful perks and impactful moments when you think a simple story".
3. The studio sought out an Asian actor to voice the character of Mulan, a legendary figure in Chinese folklore.
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The team behind the movie were keen to cast Ming-Na Wen after seeing her performance in the 1993 movie, The Joy Luck Club. "When we heard Ming-Na doing that voice-over, we knew we had our Mulan," producer Pam Coats told The Deseret News in 1998. Tia Carrere and Lea Salonga were also considered, and Lea would go on to provide Mulan's singing voice.
Speaking to Variety back in 2020, Ming-Na said she grew up with the folklore of Fa Mulan as a Chinese-American, and that it was "amazing" to be able to voice the character. The actor has spoken about the importance of Mulan being played by someone who is "Chinese in her heritage", and also told Variety that "Disney did right the first time and they'll do it right again" in regards to the 2020 remake.
4. It has THE most banging of all Disney's songs – "I'll Make a Man Out of You".
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Composed by Matthew Wilder, with lyrics by David Zippel, and performed by Donny Osmond, this song is easily the best Disney song of all time. Punchy lyrics? Check. High energy vocals? Check. Flashy animated sequence? Check. What more could you want????
5. In fact, ALL of the songs are amazing, as is the score.
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youtube.comFrom "Reflection" to "A Girl Worth Fighting For", and "Honor to Us All" every Mulan song is 10, which is not always the case in a Disney film – it can sometimes be a mixed bag! Jerry Goldsmith's score is also beautiful and triumphant, and uses an array of synthesisers as well as an orchestra with several Chinese instruments. In fact, the music for the film was nominated for Best Original Musical or Comedy Score at the 71st Academy Awards.
6. Mulan helped the launch the career of one Christina Aguilera.
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Mulan is often credited with launching Christina Aguilera's career. The former Mickey Mouse Club member released a version of "Reflection" in 1998, which would become her first ever chart success. Resultantly, she was offered a record deal with RCA!
7. There are a lot of cool cultural details, like how the style of tai chi Mulan's father practises at home (before his leg injury causes him to collapse) is actually called Mulan Quan.
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This form of tai chi is named for Hua Mulan herself!
It should be noted, however, the Mulan gets plenty wrong. Her name even mixes up Cantonese and Mandarin as Vice's Zing Tsjeng explains: "Fa is Cantonese, while Mu Lan is Mandarin—Fa Mulan is the equivalent of constructing a name out of both Esperanto and Spanish."
8. It contains this sequence, AKA the most compelling and theatrical scene ever to appear on screen.
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youtube.comThe music, the rain, her face in the sword's reflection, THE CUTTING OF THE HAIR WITH A SWORD. Ugh... Cinema at its finest.
10. The villain is genuinely ~chilling~.
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I remember having to be taken out of the cinema by my mum when The Huns first appeared in their droves on the mountains – it was super scary! I mean, look at this guy, who wouldn't be intimidated by him?? Voiced by Miguel Ferrer, the character is not actually based on Attila the Hun. The Huns in the movie are more likely Xiongnu nomads, who frequently clashed with the Han dynasty of China in the third century. This is supported by the fact that Shan Yu's name is similar to "Chanyu", the title Xiongnu leaders were given.
11. And can we please not forget Disney's finest ever sidekick – Mushu???
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Voiced by Eddie Murphy, producers wanted someone in the mould of Robin Williams as the Genie – a comedy star who could really bring a side character to life. Eddie cut his scenes in the basement of his mansion in Englewood, New Jersey, and was praised for his performance. So much so, that Dreamworks asked him to do it all over again for Shrek... There's no evidence for this, but it tracks, right?
12. Like Pocahontas before her – and Moana and Merida after her – Mulan is characterised by her strength, independence, and kindness.
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To many, Mulan resembled a break in the chain of damsels in distress within Disney movies. That's not to throw all of the amazing Disney princesses before '98 under the bus, but Mulan IS different. She's completely unafraid to buck tradition, but she does it for genuinely selfless and kind reasons. In the words of Ming-Na herself, she "saves China, and she didn't need a man to do it. In fact, she saves the men."
13. The sexiest of all "Disney princes" is obviously Li Shang.
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Can we take a moment to remember how perfect Shang is?? Not only is he a powerful bicon (see point two), he's strong, sensitive, and sexy as hell. Shang was voiced by BD Wong – another Chinese-American actor – and his singing voice is provided by Donny Osmond.
14. There are a lot of fun side characters like Mushu, Grandmother Fa, Yao, Long, Chien-Po, The Matchmaker, Cri-Kee, and the ancestors.
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Honestly, it's the dramatis personae that keeps on giving!
15. And finally, while magic is usually the main tool in a Disney hero's arsenal, Mulan focuses on martial arts and smart thinking, which is super refreshing!
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From Cinderella to The Sword in the Stone, Disney movies have tended to focus on magic and fantasy. Mulan, by contrast, is all about the power you find within yourself. Sure, she's guided by her ancestors and a talking dragon (not lizard), but mostly Mulan defeats The Huns and wins the respect of her peers through training, self-belief, and a strong sense of right and wrong.
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